


L-O-V-E

by Jamie_Anya



Category: Actor RPF, American Actor RPF, British Actor RPF
Genre: Chris and Richard play the most irritating roles that you'll eventually hate, Developing Relationship, Eventual Smut, Lee and his pies - Tom and his puddings, M/M, a bit of shakespeare for Tom, alternate universe - wine and paintings, and the author likes it, author don't know much about winemaking and vineyards, author hopes you'll go through this 'till the end with her, the Hiddleston Family - Freeform, the Pace Family, the story will get quite emotional, there will be a lot of fluffs and crying, will add some bits of comedic elements into this story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 21:30:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2244135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jamie_Anya/pseuds/Jamie_Anya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lee is one of the wealthiest and charming, world's top wine producer in Burgundy, France. Frustrated from his 'very recent' break-up with Richard, Lee accepts his brother's invitation to a fine first-class art exhibition in Paris. There, he meets a certain Englishman that captivates his heart. </p><p>Not more but a day later, love is already in pursuit! <3</p>
            </blockquote>





	L-O-V-E

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta'd. I just needed to get this out of my head, and be free... To ChargerWarrior, if you're reading this, my e-mail ditched me :(

  Lee Pace * Tom Hiddleston    

 

~*~

 

His heart dropped, painful like salt rubbed on wound.

Lee knew he shouldn't expect anything from Richard's call : it was not the usual midnight intimacy through the phone with flying kisses and 'i-miss-you-babe' giggles, this was none of that. His smile faded, his brain was trying very hard to process what he'd heard from Richard himself. A part of him expected this would eventually happen, but the other half of him didn't. Lee thought their relationship was serious, it seemed like it never was.

"...I'm sorry," Richard spoke again, his voice sounded surprisingly monotonous through the phone - soothingly deep, but harsh in some ways.

He inched his phone away from his ear, pausing for a few moments and took a deep breath. His eyes hooded as he observed the sweet glitter of lights adorned on his family-run orchard. Few of his workers were making their rounds on the vast field, checking the productivity and the quality of their berries. And the dull conversation his father was having with the family's publicist. The lights though, looked alarmingly paradoxical - so colourful, yet so irritatingly majestic that it didn't suit to what Lee was starting to feel. This sense of dread, this awkwardness that dally between him and Richard.

Fingers tapping on the wooden railing of his balcony, Lee returned back to his bedroom and quietly answered Richard's dishonest remorse, "It's okay, i understand."

No, he didn't.

This wasn't like Richard at all, and Lee didn't have the slightest clue why he didn't bother to ask him what he'd done wrong. at the back of his mind, his crumpled thoughts were starting to question him whether he would still be alive after this awkward break-up. Would he find someone better than Richard? They switched positions, but most of the time it was Lee who got pinned down. Was it the sex? Was he not erotic enough for Richard? Or maybe their dates weren't sensual, not enough roses and lilies? Were relationships always about sex? This wasn't his first time dating someone, just that he hadn't spent nearly three years together with a lover before. This unravelling break-up was bizarre.

"I know this isn't the best time," Richard's voice snapped Lee from his thoughts. Lee noticed from Richard's offbeat tone that he was trying to find something to end this conversation. And Lee felt the same. "...But i thought that you should know. I couldn't lie to you anymore."

Lie.

Okay.

Since when? All this time, he was treated like a fool.

With that, Lee hung up. Every bits of love he felt for Richard, all gone instantly. Lee deleted Richard's contact, called his P.A. to purchase him a new number and a cell before smashing his phone against the wall of his bedroom. Lee snapped and flushed the memory down in the toilet before discarding the broken pieces of his iphone into the bin. No sort of expression etched on his face, he went to his closet and wiped out all of his memories with Richard including his own share of clothes. Pictures and albums, out. Empty boxes of chocolates and candies, out. All trinkets, plane and movie tickets, and decomposed petals of dead roses, out.

Clothes and used undies, out.

Lee threw them all in the trash bag; trudged down the stairs, wrote a few words on the surface of the bag 'full with shit' with a marker pen and dropped them in the dumpster - ready for its scheduled pick-up in the morning.

"Sweetheart?" his mother called to him, her eyebrows knitted into a worried frown wondering what her son was doing in the middle of the night as she stood at the porch of their home. She ought to be asleep by now. But in her hand, what Lee spotted was the kitchen's cordless phone. And annoyance rose up in him.

Charlotte sighed, tugging on her motherly sweater, "Richard just called and he--"

Lee cut her off with his stomps up the steps and stole the phone away from his mother's hand. His grip on the small device was tight, he was fuming mad. It was not fair that Richard was playing around with his feelings, he even went so far to lie to him.

And all Lee said to him that night was...

 

 

*

 

 

Lee groaned, most of him regretted what he'd said to Richard last night. But there was nothing he could do, he was angry. Who could blame him? Lee ignored how miserable he looked to his family's eyes during breakfast. The air in the kitchen was filled with Lee's snivels and his unending sighs. Hair disheleved, his pajamas wrinkled, face in distraught with puffy red-eyes and sore throat - he wasn't even a girl to act so dramatic and emotional like this. His father had forgotten how many times he heard his son's irritating groan that morning, his eyebrow twitched whenever Lee was cutting everyone's happiness. Roy quickly finished up his breakfast as he took his mug of coffee and morning newspaper, and left to his study upstairs.

He refused to know what Lee had said to Richard, no matter how worried he was for his son. Roy never liked that Englishman anyway, he was so suspicious.

Bacon and scrambled eggs untouched, his bread had lost its yummy crust and his tea had cooled. Lee's cheek was flat against the surface of the kitchen table, basking into the coolness of the counter as his mother kept glancing and wondering if she should say something to lighten up her son's spirit. Flicking at the rolling orange, Lee watched the fruit pass his eyes before flicking them again. His sister sighed at the pitiful sight when she stepped her foot into the kitchen, nodding at her mother's unspoken request to calm his brother down.

"So, what exactly did you say to Richard?" Sally asked when she sat on the chair beside him, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

Lee lifted his face from the counter, wiping the tears on his cheeks and grumbled, "I said, 'fuck you, Richard. You're a shit and full of crap. Motherfucking asshole'..."

Sally choked on her juice, and cleared her throat. She didn't expect to hear that from her brother, this was the first time she'd heard something so crude. Lee was supposed to be well-mannered, calm and composed, and it was interesting to see how bad he looked when his fuses were snapped.

"Wow, that's freakishly unusual..."

Then, Lee began to babble.

"...And then i hung up. And then i went back to my room. And then i saw the picture of us that i kept beside the bed. And then... This damn frustration is killing me!" he cried, stabbing down his bacon and eggs with his fork. Bits of his breakfast flew out from his plate, he was on the verge to 'murder' someone. Or _something_.

"Whoa, whoa! Hey! Your meal wasn't even alive!" his sister scolded him before slapping his hand, and took his fork away. "Stop it."

"Sally, please! Take me out of my misery...!"

She rolled her eyes on how Lee would run to her whenever he was feeling depressed, like right now. Charlotte rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder before she left the kitchen. as a mother, Charlotte knew she was much obligated to sooth out the worries of her children. But in this case, she was just afraid that she might have said something that Lee didn't want to hear. Surely, if he'd calmed down just a little bit, Charlotte would accompany him. He was soaking Sally's right sleeve with his snots and tears, not that she minded, he was her brother. There was nothing wrong for a grown man to cry, everybody had their own emotions. And those were something to be cautious; careful not to tread the ice, careful not to say something bad. But Sally kept in mind to change her clothes later.

Patting her brother's back, Sally calmed him down, "C'mon, cheer up. We'll go somewhere nice, okay?"

Then, Will shuffled tiredly into the kitchen. He got home very late from his friend's birthday party last night, and always the last one to wake up. Yawning as he reached for the fridge, to grab his usual blend of yogurt before noticing the heavy air surrounded his big brother. His brother looked ridiculous.

"What the hell happened to you?" Will said with a slight raise of his eyebrow, closing the fridge's door with his foot, yogurt in his hand.

"Will, please... Not know," Sally sighed as she gently rubbed Lee's back, he wasn't crying nor sniffing anymore. But she figured he was too upset with himself, and Richard too. Sally was the same like their father, they never liked Richard. That english businessman was taking advantage of their rich vineyard through Lee and this was the result.

Gulping down his morning blend, Will asked again, "Let me guess... Richard?"

"Will," their sister warned again, her tone was heavier than before and that was always the time to shut up.

But the younger brother wouldn't stop there, he too was worried for Lee. They were a family, family took care of each other. Taking a deep breath, Will took the empty seat on Lee's right where the orange had stopped near Will's share of breakfast Charlotte had prepared for him.

"There's another grand exhibition in Louvre this evening, artists from all over the world are coming. Been wanting to see Mr. Bridges and ask his experience in paintings," Will smiled, trying to lift up the sullen air. He had always admired Jeff Bridges works, his amazing talents were exquisitely natural and Mr. Bridges frequently managed to express his love and emotions through his shades of colours.

As Will took another gulp of his yogurt from the bottle, he thought of something that could make his brother forget everything about Richard. And continued, "We should go to dear old Paris' Disneyland, knock our heads off after visiting the museum. That sounds fun, right?"

Since children, Disneyland was the sibling's sanctuary. Though creepy at times, the place was still nostalgic and cherishable.

"...Just us three?" Lee mumbled, his face still plastered on Sally's sleeve.

With Sally resting her head near her sulking brother, Will easily eased out his brother's frustrations with his idea of going back to Disneyland.

"Just us three," Sally answered him, smiling at the tiny peek Lee made at her.

 

*

 

The Pace family moved to Burgundy, France in search for peace and cure. its calm air, so free and fresh was the best place for the sickly Charlotte. She hadn't been entirely well living in america, and so the whole family found sanctuary in France. A nice place, very nostalgic. Roy bought half of a friend's share in managing their acres of fertile orchard. Regular customers would only buy their products directly from the farm, there were no publicity at all. the taste was too common, Roy said. But when Lee showed his interest in winemaking; mixing different types of fruits into the farm's Burgundy, creating a grand business and made a name for the family - the orchard flourished instantly.

Lee was officially named as the family's wine producer : taking over Roy and his friend's vineyard, hire trustworthy workers, build the family's own industry and buy machines to work the juice off. With a good publicist, the Pace's wine was sold at a good price all over the world. Their unique blend of wine, 'Charlotte's Burgundy' was the best-selling brand. The taste was different, a tinge of apple and honey, sweet and satisfactory for a customer's delight. The colour though same, had a slight shade of darkness in its colour. It managed to capture their clients' interest at times before giving the wine a sip, they were like glittering red jewels tainting the pure colour of the water - as what the customers would describe the Burgundy's beauty.

It was such a shock to be able to handle the business all on his own, but this was always a good start. This was what he liked, farming and selling. Lee would like to purchase some horses next, to bring up that famous vintage of texas and their cowboy hats. Driving around in a golf cart was never a good exercise. He was proud of his business, thanks to his mother and father, and not to mention his father's vineyard partner too. And to think that his siblings were doing great in their lives just summed along the family pride. Will was a newbie in the world of arts, had an interest in paintings since he was six. He wasn't able to make a name for himself yet but he was determined to get it. Sally was an elementary school teacher, her adorable students loved her - saying that she was beautiful and had pretty eyes. Lee admitted Sally did take on their mother's attractive appearance and personality, both him and Will however... their personalities were completely different from the whole family. Like they were aliens, didn't know where they got such character. Maybe from the telly.

Perhaps this was the third time he visited the Louvre museum, all upon Will's requests - and Lee did in fact harbor love and fascination toward some great paintings. The museum's interior still managed to take his breath away, he felt like he'd just warped through time. Maybe during Da Vinci's or Van Gogh's era. Renaissance or Victorian, perhaps during Elizabethan. The floor and the ceilings, the walls embellished with fine pictures and ancient arts. The sculptures, the lights. Lee couldn't describe how beautiful they were to his eyes, words couldn't express the museum's stunning architecture and security for these precious gems.

And when he fished himself out from the museum's trance, Lee found that his siblings had left him all by himself. Crowds were multiplying by the minute, filling the mysterious air of the building with thousands of chatters. He sighed as he loosened the scarf around his neck, suffocated with the alarming number of people and slipped his hands into his pockets, "So much for having fun..."

Lee jostled his shoulders among the packed crowds, muttering awkward apologies as he went and made sure his tall height wasn't a trouble. Away from the swarming reception for the exhibition, Lee ambled along the corridors, up the stairs and let his feet take him to wherever they wished. Passing enthusiastic visitors with cameras and children, going through each room to the other until he reached the area where the showcase took place. Dull voice speaking on a microphone caught his attention, mother-tongue and his accent was hard to let go sometimes.

"-- _ston_!" cheered the french spokesperson, followed by series of claps and a wave of good acknowledgements from the crowds. "Our artists' craftsmanship will be on display for a week, so please, do enjoy!"

He didn't mind that he had missed the first part of the exhibition, he was more interested on the arts ready to be observed and loved. Also with the regard that most of the artists on the temporary stage didn't look entirely familiar to him. Lee was lucky that he was one of the first half of crowds to be able to enter the display room, they would say this was for security reason. Maybe one of the pieces worth a billion. Fans and reporters with recorders had already surrounded their favourite rising artists, some recognised Lee and wished to talk to him. But he politely shook his head - he wasn't here for interviews, plus he wasn't in the mood to talk about why he was doing here in the first place. Then he spotted Will talking with his idol, Mr. Jeff Bridges. Laughs and jokes filled in between, that man had a sense of humor in him. He would be his brother's mentor someday, Lee was sure of it. And then, there was Sally taking pictures of erotic pieces on display.

A new version of Venus, still beautiful as ever but with a few male attributes. Like the perfect details of the wood and the bombs but she still had her usual cave. Arts surely did modernise. Lee huffed, he didn't want to know what she would do with the pictures.

But there was one painting that caught his attention. Simple, yet elegant. Fresh, so fresh. Crossing the boundary of black and white, into the world of colours. This piece was like an advice, largely symbolic. Its details were intelligible - no brushes, but pads of fingers. The colours went along with their respective shades, all those millions of beauty existed in just one very fine piece. Lee noted on the artist's signature, ' _Tom Hiddleston dated march 25th 20xx_ '. He smiled at the coincidence and continued to ravel the art's maze.

Simplicity implied a simple understanding, the art's basic structure. An easy route, easy emotions. The answer was quite simple, hidden at plain sight.

The boundary represented the human emotion, courage. Just sheer courage, one had to be brave to cross everything. That was what Lee extracted.

World was never black and white. The world was filled with colours. Colours of happiness, freedom and pleasures. Each colour presented something vast, these collections of mystifying pigments told him something that his naked eyes couldn't see, that his mind couldn't decipher.

But what about the single figure that stood on the centre of the piece, the boy. Why was it a boy? He was looking at the colours, standing on the boundary but his finger pointed at the darkness. It was either he was curious, or hesitant. But what did that mean?

"There is a question though that haunts the thoughts of most artists here," a gentle voice interrupted him, his accent was entirely british.

When Lee turned, he couldn't help but being fascinated into the owner of the voice's alluring appearance-wise. the pair of eyes that twinkled to either blue, grey or green hue, the brownish gold of his hair and the just atmosphere he brought. Dressed like a gentleman, knitted scarf that matched the colour of his mischievous eyes and the oh so sweet a smile he curved for Lee.

Lee mentally shook his head, realising he had his jaw dropped slightly. This was awkward, the man was amused at his reaction. Lee cleared his throat, turning back to the piece and chuckled sheepishly, "Please, do share."

"Love," he simply said, tipping his head slightly to the left. And Lee couldn't help but follow suit as his brows knitted in curiosity. He listened to the man's explanation, studying the piece even more, "An artist will wonder if his audience would love his piece. Every single detail holds a meaning, sometimes strange. Sometimes not. But it depends on the expression, the effort and how powerful the symbolism is."

The guy seemed to have his way around with words, it got Lee interested.

"Can you tell me about this one?"

"The boy?"

"Yeah, i don't entirely get it... the boy's out of place somehow," Lee expressed the singularity of the small figure, tipping his head to each side to get a better understanding on how this boy a perfect combination with these colours. "Like he doesn't belong there..."

"Maybe you're right."

Lee tapped a finger on his chin, "Still, it doesn't feel very 'right'."

The man hummed, biting his lower lip as he held his hands at his back, like a proper gentleman. "Hmm, i would put myself in his shoes..."

Then he finally grasped the whole picture.

"See what he sees?" Lee said, his lips was tugging on their own as he turned his head to the shorter Englishman. The man looked so enthusiastically pleased.

He countered, like a challenge, "Understand his feelings?"

"Whether he's afraid or not--"

"--small or big--"

"--hurdles and remorse--"

"--courage and sympathy," the man ended, a slight glint of mirth in his eyes. "I should congratulate you with an award, you'll make such a fine critic."

An observer like them would have to put themselves into the boy's shoes, what would they feel crossing the boundary? Both sides implied so many stories, so many places to discover. Though the colours looked very welcoming, it was in fact rather questioning. Like a paradox. The boy didn't know if that colourful side was better than the other. He was brave enough to stand, sympathetic to both. He was just a small boy, in a big place full with colours and their shades, yet in a small world. There were so many questions, so many answers though some were hidden. He pointed his finger, implying that side was his home. How and what he should be. He looked at the brighter side, there was a future - but he couldn't just simply leave his everything.

It was like an identity.

Lee grinned, scratching the back of his head - he should say likewise. This was the first time he was praised at the topic which was not particularly his hobby. But he wanted to say something about the art, and figured this man was perfect to confide in. Though it would be awkward and inappropriate at the same time, Lee decided that he shouldn't. He was still a stranger.

"...There are many interpretations, right?"

The man looked up to him and met his eyes, "Oh yes, so many. That is why the painting is called 'Questions'. I would prefer seeing it at a romanticist point of view... Oh! Where are my manners, my name's Hiddleston. Tom Hiddleston."

Lee's eyes widened, "Hiddleston?"

"Yes, i thought i should introduce myself to you," the Brit nodded with the cute smile on his face.

Introduce? Like... Introducing oneself to get his or her attention, and start the relationship from there? Never gave a man like Lee some hopes! He would take it seriously! So terribly seriously, goddamnit!

"Tom Hiddleston? The one who paints..." Lee faltered, his finger pointing at the art they had been discussing about.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Tom asked, his tone was tinted in worry.

"No! N-No, no... You surprised me for a second there. Surprised me a lot, i didn't expect you to..." Lee paused, basking in on the strange attraction he had for Tom. The Englishman was wise enough to portray so many viewpoints, he started from the basic - then left his audience to decipher what his art meant. Lee felt suffocated. Though they had a distance between them, but it was enough for Lee to feel his peculiar presence. This was different than what he felt for Richard, this was new. He could already see Tom's reddened cheeks, and how he tried to keep their gaze together.

But Tom said he would see his art at a romanticist view, what a different scenery it would be like. Consider himself as the boy, the colours would be Tom. The darkness would be Richard. But that sounded cliche'. How about he considered Tom as the boy, which side Lee belonged to?

"...'I didn't expect you to' what?"

"I didn't expect you to..."

Lee didn't expect him to be so beautiful, if you could ever call a man beautiful. Words couldn't fully describe Tom's character, first impression was always bad... but it was always a good thing. Golden beneath rotten shells, but what did it mean to see the good things first before the bad? Lee shook his head, he wondered why he was too immersed with his thoughts. He held out his hand for a shake, "N-Nevermind... my name's Lee Pace. And i know it sounded like 'toothpaste' but... yeah."

Tom laughed, that genuine ring that lightened Lee's spirit easily. The joke was pretty much lame, but Tom didn't seem to bother about it. Tom spent his few seconds trying to calm down, hiding his mouth underneath his palms as he continued to snicker. And Lee couldn't help but feeling enchanted, this was love at first sight yes? Tom grasped his hand, and Lee shook his firmly.

"I am aware of who you are, my parents are passionate lovers of your brand," Tom replied, looking away from Lee's mesmerizing pair of eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck. Tom wanted to counter Lee's joke, but forgot about it. And Lee thought, maybe Tom was as nervous as he was. "They said Charlotte's Burgundy is an excellent choice of wine. Not too alcoholic, not too sweet... just per--"

"--fect?"

"Yes... just perfect," Tom agreed, his eyes wandered at Lee's questioning gaze - his handsome face, and seemed to demand an answer how did they become so open all of a sudden. They ignored the visitors and artists present in the display room, looking through each other's eyes seemed like they were reading each other's stories.

By the time, Will and Sally called his name that it was time to leave, Tom backed a few steps - releasing his hold on Lee's hand, his reaction seemed like he was not allowed to be this close to anyone. But his smile stayed firm on his lips, and said, "It was nice to be able to discuss with you, Mr. Pace."

Mr.Pace...

Wouldn't it be nice if it was 'Lee' instead?

"Yeah..."

"Well... have a good night," Tom bid him, turning his heels to join the other artists. The hand that Lee had held was hid in the 'sanctuary' of his pocket, his steps were small - as if he didn't want to stop their conversation.

Lee watched him go, there was an awful feeling that he might never meet Tom so comfortable like this anymore. But was pleased at the few glances Tom stole at him before Lee made his way to his snickering siblings. 90 percent of him believed that their feelings were mutual, they did believe in something no matter how fairytale-ish it sounded.

Tom.

His heart ran wild, and skipped a beat. The spokesperson did say that the exhibition lasted for a week, right? Would Tom be here tomorrow? What about the day after? And the days after that?


End file.
